Mara Connor shares "Ballad of Big Nothing" cover feat. Kenny Becker of Goon

For Immediate Release

May 7, 2021

MARA CONNOR

SHARES COVER OF ELLIOTT SMITH'S

"BALLAD OF BIG NOTHING" (FEAT. KENNY BECKER OF GOON)

FROM FORTHCOMING DECADES EP

ALL PROCEEDS FROM "BALLAD OF BIG NOTHING"

TO BENEFIT THE TREVOR PROJECT

FOR THE MONTH OF MAY

DECADES EP DUE MAY 20, 2021

Photo credit: Emily Elkin

“Southern California singer-songwriter Mara Connor pays tribute to her roots with her delightfully bright debut single,

‘No Fun.’ It’s a promising sign for this newcomer, and all that retro flavor never stops this song from sounding like right now.”

One of the

'12 best up-and-coming bands and artists at SXSW':

"[Connor] demonstrated poise and a clear voice..."

"Somewhere between a mod balladeer and an indie folk goddess, the Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter

is definitely an older soul...

revealing something sultry, something country, and something uniquely hers."

Los Angeles native Mara Connor has shared her cover of Elliott Smith's "Ballad of Big Nothing" (feat. Kenny Becker of LA grunge band Goon) from the forthcoming Decades EP, due May 20, 2021. All proceeds from the single -- the last from the EP ahead of its release -- will be donated to The Trevor Project, a a national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ young people under 25. Hear "Ballad of Big Nothing" HERE.

"Kenny and I are excited to share our rendition of 'Ballad of Big Nothing,'" Mara says. "No one does it better than Elliott Smith but we had a lot of fun paying tribute to one of our favorite artists by making music in our apartments on an old four track cassette recorder, just like Elliott used to do. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, proceeds for the month of May will be donated to The Trevor Project."

HEAR "BALLAD OF BIG NOTHING" (ELLIOTT SMITH COVER)

HEAR "BLUES RUN THE GAME" (JACKSON C. FRANK COVER)

HEAR "AIN'T THAT A SHAME" (FATS DOMINO COVER)

Mara and Kenny co-produced “Ballad of Big Nothing” at their LA apartments on a Tascam 414mkII four track cassette recorder (a recording technique Elliott Smith himself used) that they found on a spontaneous visit to LA record shop Cosmic Vinyl. Kenny can be heard on guitar, vocals and reverse piano (a special effect created by physically reversing the tape to record the instrument backwards). Featured on violin is Jen Simone (who also played with Elliott Smith’s band Heatmiser back in the day). Mara and Kenny bonded over their shared admiration for Elliott Smith, who had a big influence on both of their music.

Decades is a collection of five covers spanning over fifty years. Each cover belongs to a different decade, from Fats Domino’s “Ain’t That A Shame” (1955) and Jackson C. Frank’s “Blues Run the Game” (1965) to Neil Young’s “Old Man” (1972), Kath Bloom’s “Come Here” (1984) and Elliott Smith’s “Ballad of Big Nothing” (1997). The songs were recorded across the US, in New York City, Nashville and Los Angeles (mostly pre-pandemic, in home studios and on apartment floors).

For Mara, this EP was an excuse to work with some of her favorite collaborators and friends (whose credits include The National, Sharon Van Etten, Kacey Musgraves, Elliott Smith and Alabama Shakes) and an experiment in reinventing and breathing new life into some of her favorite songs of the 20th century. This EP is also Mara’s producing debut, as she co-produced two of the songs ("Come Here" and "Ballad of Big Nothing").

Mara recently shared the Decades EP's 1950s cut, a Twin Peaks-inspired cover of "Ain't That a Shame," on Fats Domino's birthday (which Flood Magazine called "brilliant" and praised for its dark twist on the original). Last month she released her 1960s cover, a striking rendition of cult folk songwriter Jackson C. Frank's "Blues Run the Game," which Under The Radar premiered and called "a worthy tribute to the heartbreaking original classic."

Connor's LA roots shine through her songs, which are drenched in the sound and spirit of Southern California and harken back to a bygone era of music. Her debut single “No Fun ” was lauded by Rolling Stone (as a “Song You Need to Know ” and playlisted with Neil Young and St. Vincent), and was also named Buzzbands’ No. 1 Favorite Song of The Year. Connor's follow-up duet with Langhorne Slim, “Someone New ,” premiered via Consequence of Sound, and was named one of Rolling Stone ’s “10 Best Country and Americana Songs to Hear Now” (along with Lukas Nelson and Mavis Staples). Her third single “Wildfire ” was praised by American Songwriter, who deemed her an “indie folk goddess.” Connor made her SXSW debut in 2019 and was called one of the “12 Best Up-and-Coming Artists at SXSW” (along with Yola) by Greg Kot of The Chicago Tribune.